The present invention relates to a sheets handling device for use in association with image-forming apparatus such as printers or copying apparatus, and more particularly to a device for such use to handle sheets bearing an image thereon fed from the image-forming apparatus so as to discharge them face up or face down as desired, and also to feed them back to the image-forming apparatus for double-face or composite reproduction of image. Hereinafter, the sheets bearing an image thereon will be referred to as "sheet(s)".
In general, sheets are discharged face up from image-forming apparatus such as copying apparatus or printers. Under this arrangement senior pages are consecutively placed on younger pages. After the whole pages are discharged, it is necessary to rearrange them in normal cardinal numbers. To avoid taking the toil of rearranging the pages, some copying apparatus and printers are provided with a feeder which discharges sheets face down.
Another type of image-forming apparatus are known for the provision of a feeder which feeds back sheets to the image-forming apparatus after turning them upside down so as to allow another reproduction of image on the reverse faces. Hereinafter this system will be referred to as double-face reproduction of image or merely as double-face.
A further type of image-forming apparatus include a feeder which feeds sheets back in the same posture so as to allow another reproduction of image on the same face as the previous image. Hereinafter this system will be referred to composite reproduction of image or merely composite.
However, there has been no sheets handling device of compact size which can discharge sheets either face up or face down as desired, and also feed them back to the image-forming apparatus for double-face or composite reproduction of image. In general, in order to reproduce another image on the reverse faces or on the same faces as the previous image, any device such as a box is required for storing the sheets, from which the sheets are taken out one by one. The provision of the storing device results in the increased size of the sheets handling device.